It is known in the art of manufacturing engine cylinder blocks, crankcases and the like to form bearing caps for supporting the engine crankshaft separately from the crankcase supporting structure to which the caps are attached.
For example, it is common to cast an engine cylinder block, of cast iron, aluminum or other suitable material, as an integral structure that includes crankcase defining sidewalls interconnected by transverse webs incorporating main journal receiving means for the crankshaft. Individual bearing caps, applied to support the crankshaft in the journal receiving means, are commonly formed as separate castings or fabrications. These are machined or otherwise finished separately from the integral cylinder block and crankcase structure, commonly referred to as the engine block. After machining of these separate members, the bearing caps are usually attached to the journal receiving portions of the engine block and the bearing recesses of the block and caps are line bored to provide properly aligned cylindrical bearing openings for receiving the crank journals or main bearing inserts for supporting the journals.
This prior method of manufacture requiring plural independently machined components, while generally satisfactory, involves the expense of separate tooling fixtures and machinery for processing the cylinder blocks and bearing caps as well as separate molds or other manufacturing equipment for providing the castings, or otherwise formed separate structures, utilized to manufacture the block assembly with attached bearing caps.